ChumpedTeenage Retirement

Chumped's self-described "bummer punk" is teenage winter blues personified. Teenage Retirement is a fast-paced saga of heartbreak and restlessness, and it's a promising debut from the Brooklyn-based pop-punk foursome.

Vocalist Anika Pyle takes on an endearing whine when she puts force behind the lyrics; "Name That Thing" evokes images of young, responsibility-free times, filled with cheap beer and late-night gossip. "Coffee" offers a punkier, Mixtapes-esque vibe, a pleasingly disorganized presentation of Chumped's stripped-down pop punk. "Penny" pairs a quick, resonating rhythm with a deep-cutting, desperate yearning for times long gone; heart-wrenching relatability is served up on "Old and Tired." Each track is lean, catchy and poignantly honest, and not a single element of the record is contrived; from the effortlessly lyrics, to the punky riffs, to the straightforward, unembellished production, Chumped have produced a gleaming, untarnished morsel of youthful melancholy. It's bummed out, yet filled with energy — everything a pop-punk purist could ask for in a debut release.

Chumped have successfully evaded growing up on Teenage Retirement. It's a release teeming with memories of the past and the restlessness of youth. Only time will tell if their future releases can maintain the same unapologetic honesty; until then, Chumped have released a thoroughly satisfying album that bears repeat listens.
(Anchorless)